This qualitative case study illustrates barriers to informal argumentation and reasoned debate, i.e., "critical discourse," in online forums. The case is the computer conference of a 15-week, graduate-level humanities course offered entirely at a distance. Twelve students, all with families and careers, were enrolled in the course. We read all…

As teachers face increasing demands to meet the needs of students with special needs in inclusive classrooms, there is a corresponding increase in the need for professional development opportunities for practicing teachers in areas that will assist them to become more knowledgeable in meeting these needs. One area of concern for teachers is the…

This special issue of "Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education" focused on intercultural education and the role of technology to facilitate such education in formal courses of teacher education and in the lifelong reflective practice of educators. Invited articles arrived from a variety of perspectives, including those…

Web Enhanced Instruction (WEI) is not intended to replace the traditional classroom setting, but rather to supplement the traditional lecture with course content that can be accessed from campus or the Internet. WEI has the potential to extend the boundaries of traditional classrooms by providing new opportunities for communication and interaction…

The development of distance and distributed learning environments on college campuses has created a need to reconsider traditional approaches to teaching and learning by integrating research and theories in human learning, pedagogy, and instructional technology. Creating effective and efficient multimedia for Web-based instruction requires a…

To develop practical Web-based instruction (WBI) design guidelines for faculty and instructional support staff, the author analyzed three different WBI design cases based on interviews with three experts. On the surface, the WBI design processes that each expert used look more alike than different, entailing similar major steps. The underlying…

This study is, as an inquiry into the effectiveness of discussion leadership taxonomy, designed to help online discussion leaders support and facilitate discussions conducted by undergraduates. Participants were approximately two hundred preservice undergraduate students taking an Introduction to Educational Technology course. Each week students…

The purpose of this study was to ascertain if an online computer tutorial on diabetes mellitus, supplemented to traditional classroom lecture, is an effective tool in the education of nutrition students. Students completing a web-based tutorial as a supplement to classroom lecture displayed greater improvement in pre- vs. post-test scores compared…

The author describes her experiences teaching a computer-enhanced Modern Poetry course. The author argues that using computers enhances the concept of the classroom as learning community. It was the author's experience that students' postings on the discussion board created an atmosphere that encouraged student involvement, as opposed to the…

This report provides a summary and analysis of activities and trends of virtual schools (i.e., educational organizations that offer K-12 courses through Internet- or World Wide Web-based methods) across the United States. The study provides analysis of trends based on an online survey of state-approved or regionally accredited schools conducted…

In this study, instructor and student problems related to the Web-based instruction (WBI) were identified after examining their experiences. Interviews were used to collect the data. Semi-structured interview questions were asked in order to identify the problems related to the design, technology, support, management, student-centered learning,…

In 1996, Bonk and Cummings set out to design, implement and refine Web-based educational psychology courses and laboratory experiences offered to pre-service teachers at Indiana University. Utilizing the American Psychological Association's 14 Learner Centered Principles (1993, 1997), Alexander and Murphy (1994), Bonk and Reynolds (1997), Bonk and…

This study investigated teachers' opinions of the effectiveness of various professional development activities influencing their attention to students' thinking. The teachers' entry characteristics, nature of the activities themselves, and teachers' ratings of the activities are focused in the study. Teachers (n=110) were surveyed to rate each…

This dissertation examines the impact two technology-based delivery systems--telecourses and Web-based instruction--have on the student's learning experience, compared with an equivalent classroom-based instructional method. The sample was comprised of 78 students from Lakeland Community College in Ohio. All of these students were enrolled in Math…

Academic staff development that is concerned with how to incorporate online learning into university courses must address two issues: online technology and its educational implications challenge many staff to review their attitudes to their own teaching, and working with online learning technology lends itself to a team-oriented, collegial…